Sora Versus Toon Link- The Ultimate Showdown, Act II
by Vercingetorix712
Summary: This story began its life as a Death Battle- style fight between two of the greatest video game heroes of the past decade. With my passion for these heroes, something far greater took root. In the continuation, things on Outset take a turn for the worst and both heroes face decisions that will set them on a collision course; the future of the universe will be at stake!


NOTE: This story was originally written in blog form, with accompanying pictures and music. To see this chapter in its recommended form, go here:

[link]

Our story continues, as Sora and Co. embark on their most ambitious journey yet, and Link is forced to question his own values in order to save his loved ones! Will the Great King of Evil and the Seeker of Darkness triumph over our heroes, or will the separate forces of the Keyblade and the Triforce survive long enough to strike back? Can they themselves even get along to have a fighting chance?

Sora versus Toon Link Part 5: The Ultimate Showdown!  
-Act II

Act II

"...This place feels strangely familiar- like a forgotten dream or a long-lost memory..."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had embarked on the gummi ship for their fateful journey together just a few hours after the final embers from the pyres had died. All three of them had been exhausted, but their attempts at slumbering overnight had been met with futility- their bedrolls did little to conceal the cold harshness of the stone castle floor underneath, and one of them constantly had to be alert for guard duty. Their dreams were similarly troubled- Sora in particular was still trying to grasp the magnitude of what had just occurred, attempting to make some sense out of what their next move would be.

He dreampt of Kairi and Riku, of the fact that his two closest friends could have gone on two completely opposite directions in life, and of the fact that they both were gone. Kairi had always said that she and Sora would always be together in their hearts, but was that really true? Sometimes even the Keyblade Master wasn't beyond self-doubt, and he wondered to himself if Kairi had died already as a result of the machinations of the one they called Ganondorf. More than anything else, Sora felt a hatred for that newound enemy...hatred that he had never experienced before. Nobody that he knew was a saint, but now was the first time ever that the teenage hero was motivated by revenge. Sora's old memories of his friends and the Destiny Islands gave way to constant battles with the Great King of Evil, constantly planning how he would get even with Ganondorf at any cost. They fought again and again in his slumbering mind, both sides winning some of the time. And yet, even when Sora won he wasn't satisfied- Kairi was always one step away from him, and Ganondorf awakened again ready for another round. Sora didn't dream of losing Kairi- she was already gone to him. He couldn't accept this fact, always chasing her to no avail-

Sora suddenly awoke, he wasn't sure wether it was because of the chilly castle air or the dream that was fading out of his consciousness. He wasn't the only one alert at the moment- Donald was making a quick snack for breakfast and Goofy was finishing up packing their few belongings onto the spacecraft. Now aware that it was time to go, Sora sprang up out of his bedroll. The vivid dreams had somehow restored his energy, but they had only intensified his desire to get moving and pursue Ganondorf. Was Kairi still alive, or already gone like she was in the dream? The Keyblade Master remembered something that Riku had said before the Heartless had overrun the Destiny Islands:

"We'll never know by staying here."

"Mornin', Sora," Goofy said casually, interrupting the young man's thoughts. "Gawrsh, ya slept pretty quiet there! We're almost ready ta go. Donald found us the co-ordinates from an old dusty book, probably the same one that Ansem had seen too. He'll tell ya all about it, hyuck hyuck! And while yurr'e at it Downald, cook up some more of that yummy bacon!"

"Yeah yeah, get back to work Goofy!" , the duck retorted. It seemed to Sora that the obstinate mallard had gotten barely as much sleep as he did, judging by his current mood. Even with his grumpiness, though, Donald had done an excellent job as always in getting Goofy on task loading up the ship. A small campfire glowed and crackled a few yards away from the bedrolls, and over it some bacon was cooking. Maybe the delicious smell was what had woken Sora up after all...

"Hey Donald, thanks for getting started,", Sora replied as he helped himself to breakfast, "and for cooking something. I never realize how hungry I am until I smell something good! Any trouble on guard duty last night?" the duck was glad to see Sora finally awake, as they had to get moving and fast. It had taken all of Donald's restraint to not wake the Keyblade Master up, but he reasoned to himself that Sora had been through a lot over the last few days for someone as young as him. A good night's sleep was at least what he deserved...

"No, Sawra," Donald called back from twenty feet away, "nothing but a few shadows, "bwut like Goofy said I did fwind owur next destination. Check this ouwt!" The duck approached with a large, brown old tome in hand. It looked just like any other obscure book that could be found in Hollow Bastion's ancient Library (which, through solving a puzzle a few days ago, Sora found that thjey were illegible), but on the front cover was a simple engraving- three triangles arranged in a pyramid themselves- and some text in a long-defunct language below it. Between the symbol and the title, however was a written note; someone had obviously spent time with the book and translated it after plenty of effort. The words read:

The History and Legends of Hyrule: A Summary

By the Sage Sahasrahla

Translated by Ansem, Lord of Hollow Bastion Castle

"Hyrule?", Sora asked of anyone who would listen, "What kind of a place is that? Donald, what does the book say? What did you find out about where we're going?"

Donald reopened the dusty tome and flipped through a few of the yellowed pages, and then came to a bookmark that the chronicle's previous modifier had highlighted as particularly interesting. Once the duck found his place, he began to tell Sora and Goofy everything he had learned:

"Hewe it says, he started to recite in his not-often used formal accent, that "...so it comes to pass in this fine land that every few centuries Hyrule becomes the target of one whom some consider to be evil incarnate. At the present it is unclear whether Ganon, or Ganondorf as he is also called, is a vestigial element of darkness that was born when the three goddesses formed our world, or just a maligned spirit who has failed to properly make the journey to the afterlife. In any case, the Great King of Evil will probably never go away permanently- he will always be there to look over our backs and tempt us into the ways of darkness. An excellent example is readily apparent today, as in our own turbulent times the wizard Aghanim, clearly a puppet of Ganondorf, has usurped the throne of Hyrule and is governing by way of arbitrary, self-serving decree...

However, this is not the fate of everyone who values peace and prosperity to have to constantly fear this Gerudo King. While it's unclear even to us Sages why the Hylian goddesses have allowed Ganon to persist (assuming that they have the power to destroy as well as build all of their creations), the fact is evident that they have provided us humble men with the means to combat this foe. This is proven time and time again by the appearance of a Hero, invariably named Link, whenever Hyrule comes under attack. This youth, aided by those of the royal line of Hyrule (that isn't to say that Link himself isn't Hylian royalty, although he usually comes from humble roots) assembles part of the Golden Power, the Triforce, to combat Ganondorf's influence.

Every time this occurs, the prophesized Link comes from a different realm of our universe. Last time, he was a red-haired boy from the farm who mysteriously emerged to assemble the Triforce and slay Ganon. At the current day, I am doing my best to secretly guide and train his descendant to wage war with Aghanim, by having him collect three ancient pendants. Only time will reveal for sure if my efforts can succeed, but Link has already secretly rescued our Princess Zelda from Castle Hyrule. Once he proves himself worthy of the Blade that was long hidden in the Lost Woods, then he will truly be the Legendary Hero reborn and will free our kingdom again.

Alas, owing to the supernatural nature of our enemy Ganondorf, I can foresee that even if my student succeeds in his own journey that the Great King of Evil will inevitably rise again to challenge everything joyful in the world. I am blessed by our fair goddesses with some ability to glimpse into the future (or what may be the future, it is impossible to tell for sure), so here I shall chronicle my visions for whatever use prosterity may have for them:

A Hero shall come from the forest, only to be shunned by his own people but accepted by others. The blade will be recovered, and the beast will be vanquished after a reign of seven years. The Hero will travel through time itself, and his music will restore the seal on the Triforce of Power. and its corrupted manipulator. He will then attempt to put his own childhood back together by searching for an old friend. Two parallel lands shall know peace once more...for a while.

Several generations later, a catastrophe shall befall the fair kingdom once again and this time Hyrule will not receive a Hero in time; instead, the land will be scarred by water and the survivors' lives will have changed completely. Over the years, they will forget the struggles of the past, all of them will except a few...

A few people on a distant island will suddenly remember their history, and one of them will emerge as a new Hero, destined to seal what land that remains from dark threats both new and old...He will awaken to his destiny, and return to the lands his ancestors once held. Worlds will be linked as never before, and the doors that sealed them from each other unlocked. The forces of darkness will subsequently find each other to unite, and a war of passion could destroy everything the Hero values. How will it all end?...

I can see no further. The Blade is the Key, and the Hero who wields it will decide the future of not only our fair kingdom, but the whole universe. Who will prove to be worthy of obtaining the Blade of Legend? That is up to our descendants to settle- I only pray for my old ghost's sake that light shall triumph in the end of it.

Those are the visions of the Sage Sahasrahla, given through the grace of our goddesses Din, Farore, and Naryu. Take them, dear Reader, as you please- these events may happen precisely, or the future may be different entirely- unknown is the nature of such things. Remember this, however- all that is separated ultimately meets again some day."

Donald concluded the old Sage's writings there, as the bookmarks and notes by Ansem had ended at that point. The stone room fell silent once more (save the rustling of the campfire) as the duck, Goofy, and Sora pondered over the musings of a long-dead prophet.

"Well shucks," Goofy stated in his usual innocent matter, "that's some heavy stuff there. I guess that Hyrule's where Ansem went and that could have somethin' ta do with this Ganondorf fella. Whatcha makea this, Downald?" The duck had to think for a moment before he answered; pulling off that formal accent usually distracted his mind from what he actually said. "I down't qwite know," he replied, "you can't take this kwind of thing too seriowsly, bwut mwaybe Ansem had seen this as an opportunity to wreck anwother world and incwease his power. In any cwase, we now know that he hwas a clear goal and Ganondorf is now on his side. Sahrasrahla was wright about that at lweast- if we fwind one, we fwind anothwer. At least we now know where to gwo- Ansem was in such a hurry that he even left this book behind with the coordinates inside it! Sawra, think you could be that hero the sage was writing about? You might need to be for us to survive this one, heh heh! "

"Who knows, Donald?", the teenager replied, "Stranger things have happened to us before, like you getting turned into a merduck back in Atlantica! Besides, I'm the Keyblade Master and someone's gotta save Hyrule. Even if the prophecy isn't true, that fact still is. Ganondorf's gonna need to watch out, and once he's gone Ansem will be next. I'm not going to leave Kairi to them- I promised her..."

The heroes' course was thus set, and once Sora and Goofy had finished loading up the ship they all crammed into the cockpit and set the coordinates Donald had found into the autopilot system. Despite the small quarters of the gummi ship, it was clear that all of them were happy to finally be in a safe place. The past several days had been the most trying of Sora's Donald, and Goofy's lives and they all felt some relief as the gloomy castle at Hollow Bastion shrunk into space. They knew they would have to return soon in order to finally seal this world's keyhole, though- even a dark and gloomy place like that was worth saving, and besides the Keyhole where Sora's greatest battles had been fought was critical for the destiny of every other world out there.

The group's journey through space was unusually quiet considering the Heartless ships that they had previously faced in this sector (for the dark power of Hollow Bastion drew the monsters from far and wide). On and on through the portals of space the Gummi Ship traveled, It gave Sora some time to think about what the Prophet had written in that old book from the Library. What it said seemed so unbelievable to him, and yet the Keyblade Master had no other leads to follow in his pursuit of Ganondorf and Ansem. How could he be returning to a world so far away, one that he had never seen in his life? Moreso than that, how would the Hylian goddesses plot out something that would affect him from so far away? And otherwise, he thought, what if the prophecy wasn't true at all? Ansem had obviously seen enough evidence to go and attack Hyrule, but how would the other Princess of Heart land there of all places? What if he wasn't the legendary hero of Hyrule reborn? Would even the Keyblade and his friends be enough to stop the "united forces of darkness?" And what of the "war of passion" that Sahasrahla had predicted? Maybe it was Sora's current row with Ganonondorf, but could he be so sure? The teenager didn't quite have enough pieces to finish the puzzle of his future, but that didn't stop him from trying to make sense of it all from the cockpit of the speeding gummi ship...

The group had finally arrived where Donald's coordinates had pointed them, but like what had happened many times before the gummi ship had landed a little worse for wear. At Donald's insistence (for out of all of them he was the most experienced pilot), their craft had slowly approached the mostly blue world and scoured the air for a while on its way to the exact coordinates. What Donald hadn't accepted, however, was that his mapped destination was on a huge rock in the middle of nowhere! The duck had countered to Sora that the rock was actually part of two bridged and inhabited islands in the middle of an ocean and that Ansem's calculations had pointed them to this exact spot, so through sheer force of will Donald had gotten his way. Now Sora found himself glancing at a gummi ship that was buried into the ground on the edge of a high plateaued forest, and all he could do was stare at it and mutter to himself, "I'm gonna fly the ship next time..."

The fact that the landing had been a little rough for Sora, Donald, and Goofy did little to dampen their moods, however- at most, the gummi ship would only require some excavation to get it back in running order. Besides, their landing site was bordered by the nearby woods and so would be sheltered from any curious locals. For Team Disney, after all, the best part of arriving at a new land was getting off that darn spacecraft after hours of nothing but monotonous banter and empty space! As his usual curious self, Goofy had gone off exploring the inner forest while Sora and Donald examined the ship. After a few minutes of mischief, the dog approached them with some news:

"Well gawrsh, fellas, I found this here sign that says we're next to the Forest of Fairies! Ya think Tinker Bell's sisters will be there? Hyuck hyuck hyuck!"

"No, sorry Goofy," Sora responded while trying not to disappoint the always-optimistic fellow, "We're as far away from any other world as you can get. I'd love to go exploring and meet the locals, but if it's true that Ansem and Ganondorf are here then we just don't have time for that now..." He figured that he was right, because this was an emergency- Sora had no idea when or if the villains would make their move, but he had to beat them to this world's keyhole at any cost. Once Hyrule was stabilized for the time being, then the group could have some leisure time-and research the legends of this ancient place. With a single purpose now assigned to his group, Sora led his company away from the forested landing site and onto the windswept, rickety bridge connecting the rock on which they had landed to the other part of Outset.

Only when Team Disney embarked from the Forest of Fairies to cross that bridge did the exact details of their current location become apparent. It was early in the afternoon, and things were quiet even for the standards of the small village (the natives were resting after their morning chores, Sora figured). Outset Island was a tranquil place, dotted by no more than a dozen small buildings around the coast. There were only a few trees besides those to be found in the forest, but the rocky island had more than enough bright grasses and other foliage to impart a welcoming, comfortable mood to whomever visited this isolated settlement. For the gang, it certainly was a change of pace from the tight and stuffy quarters of the Gummi Ship- even at the other and of the bridge Donald and goofy were still getting accustomed to their new open fresh coastal air was a refreshment to Sora's senses, not only due to its lack of contaminants- from the periphery of his hearing the Keyblade Master detected a sound that broke the peaceful idyl of rustling waves and calling seagulls...

It was some festive music, perhaps evident of a celebration or maybe just being played for for no reason at all. Having lived on an island himself before that home was destroyed, Sora knew that these types of communities were tightly knit and that local get-togethers were frequent in nature. Island life wasn't always easy or exciting, he figured, but at least by living here one would always have friends to trust and rely on. People from small settlements like this had to rely on each other to survive, working cooperatively to utilize scarce land and resources for everyone's benefit. Therefore, Sora knew, it was necessity that compelled these inhabitants to trust each other- break that code for whatever reason, be it power or money or ego- and the means of survival would be wiped out for everyone.

"Maybe that was what happened between me and Riku," Sora thought to himself, "We really should have known better than to be so selfish..." He couldn't stop himself from comparing this quiet settlement and the peaceful coexistence on Outset to the circumstances surrounding the destruction of his own home, the Destiny Islands. "We could have put aside our differences, maybe shared power between us. Heck, we could have just talked it over on who got Kairi. I guessed that I just pushed him too far..." It struck the Keyblade Master as ironic in that moment that himself and Riku had repeated the same mistakes that they had sworn to prevent- ones they had read in the old books that their parents had passed down to them. Perhaps it was true after all- perhaps kids really couldn't govern themselves.

"Come awn, Sawra, time to gwet movwing!", an impatient Donald called back to the teenager as they hiked down the narrow, rocky path that led to the settlements, "Remembwer what we're hewe for- to fwind and seawl that keyhwole before Ansem or Ganondowrf dwo!" "Sorry, Donald," Sora responded, "I just have a lot on my mind right now. It's that this place feels strangely familiar- like a forgotten dream or a long-lost memory..." "I'm sure that it just reminds you of home," Goofy interjected, "I'd be bummed out too if where I lived went kaput, you betcha! But Sowra, what ya need to know is that ya gotta think for the future. I found that one out after working for King Mickey all these years! That mouse sure is a nice fella, hyuck hyuck!"

"Thanks, Goofy, you're right about that one.", Sora responded reassuringly as the group neared the foot of the rocky hill, even if he didn't totally believe his canine buddy's perspective. Something did feel oddly familiar about these islands, and the Keyblade Master wasn't prepared to just brush it off as coincidence just yet. "It looks like most of the locals are resting now, so we should have the place to ourselves. Just don't talk to anyone around here yet- we don't know who is a friend and who is an enemy right now, so stay out of sight and look for a keyhole somewhere." "Yeah, Sowra," Goofy replied, "I don't like muddling in other people's business either!" "It's Meddling, Goofy", Donald added just as the dog had finished his remarks. "Yeah shucks, I know that, Donald," the dog shot back, and with that the party began to sweep and examine the village of Outset for traces of the sought-after keyhole.

They swept the islands under the hot midday sun house by house, rock by rock, and tree by tree, together looking for any trace of Hyrule's keyhole. Sora of course led the way, trying to pinpoint the site's location by following his magical weapon- like a metal detector gone wrong, it led them around in circles and ultimately nowhere. Luckily, they were able to avoid detection by the slumbering revelers along the way thanks to Donald's shrewd route planning and some luck. A suspicion started to creep into Sora's mind that maybe this assignment wouldn't be so simple as a scavenger hunt- the forces of evil very well could be on Outset Island already, and in fact he recalled to himself that nearly every other keyhole he had locked had only been woth through some violent struggle.

Finally, Team Disney came to the other end of the island and saw one more structure that seemed to be worth examining. It was a modest house, situated on the coastline and overlooking the sea with a wraparound porch. The house was unassuming, save for a feature that drew the attention of someone in the group-

"Hey Sawra, come lwook at this!", Donald whispered excitedly as they silently approached the front door of the house. "Why golly gee," Goofy added, "ain't that the same symbol we saw on the cover of that old book back at Hollow Bastion, Sora?"

Clearly enough, a Triforce symbol was on the door and shone with an otherworldly glow when Sora approached. "I think we may have just found our keyhole, guys," Sora declared to them in a hushed but confident voice- but something wasn't right. The keyhole on the door would not react any further to Sora's Keyblade, and the teenage hero had to gather back his shaken confidence. "This has never happened to me before", Sora said despondently. "Maybe we really should go talk to the locals and-"

"Sora, look over there!", Goofy interrupted as he pointed around the corner. On the sandy beach and next to the canoes were two figures departing from a meeting, and Sora immediately recognized one of them-

"It's Riku..."

The Keyblade Master's most hated enemy faded away after only a few seconds of walking along the beach, and the reality of the sight hit Sora like a brick wall:

This wasn't a game anymore. Ansem was really on Outset Island, and Ganondorf was likely with him as well. Worse than that, Riku may had already won the support of the locals and their assistance could not be counted on. Team Disney would be in for a heated fight, and their survival was not guaranteed this time.

With a sigh, the Keyblade Master addressed his brothers in arms with one more sentence: "It's time for us to go and win over evil. All for one and one for all- let's move."

A cold wind started to blow over the quiet settlement of Outset, and it was up to Team Disney to make sure that it wouldn't be quiet as the grave.

_

"You really thought that we wouldn't have to face darkness again some day? Link, the world just isn't that simple..."

Link watched almost in disbelief as the figure seemed to vanish into the afternoon sunlight; to the Hylian it had almost seemed like the midday heat was playing tricks on him- he had experienced such before when the day's work was almost done and the naptime beckoned. Nothing could be trusted when one was just coming out of a meditative trance- even as the dialogue with Riku was occurring Link could at a few times almost discern whispering coming from the direction of his house (he quickly ruled that possibility out, as everyone from the village was on the island's other section). This time had obviously been different, however- there was no mistaking that something significant had transpired right in front of the Hero of Winds, and that yet again he would play a role in his small island's history. This situation wasn't quite unfamiliar to Link- indeed, to the young man's mind it brought back memories of his first encounters with the King of Red Lions, of someone coming out of nowhere to convince him of what needed to be done for Hyrule next. As was the case then, Link knew that he needed to summon his allies and fast- with some luck, Tetra would be close enough to Outset to make it there by sundown and together with Riku they could formulate a strategy to defeat Sora and Ganondorf, if they appeared. As the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom (being passed down to her through the royal family of Hyrule), she would be vital to counteract the influence of the Great King of Evil's own piece, the Triforce of Power. Not only that, but Tetra's pirates and the considerable firepower of her ship had been valuable assets to Link's cause during their second raid on the Forsaken Fortress. In this new war of freedom, the Hylian knew well that he couldn't afford to be alone when the shadows came.

Link finally took the unusual blue stone out of his pocket; the object had a blue glow to it that clearly gave away its unusual nature. He had always regarded this old rock, of all things, to be his second most valued possession, right after the Master Sword itself- it was a keepsake given to him by Tetra, a communication device that harnessed long-forgotten arcane secrets to make possible an extraordinary feat- none other than allowing its users to communicate with each other directly and at any distance! Thus, the talking stone Link held wasn't just an old token to be confused with a locket or something else- rather, it ensured that no matter the situation he faced at the moment, the Hero of Winds could talk to the one person who knew him best.

The old stone shook and sprung to life when Link instructed it to; it was an assuring sign when so much else this day hadn't gone to plan. Without delay, the Hero of Winds started to talk into it-

"Hey Tetra, it's Link. Can you hear me? I need to talk to you, it's really important..."

He didn't have to wait long for an answer; Tetra was always alert to what was happening around her, and besides there wasn't much happening on the ship as of late except the random antics of a smelly band of pirates. She always welcomed the chance to talk to Link as it was a welcome reminder of a more settled existence, one that didn't rely on the next week's heist to keep alive.

"Yeah yeah Link, I hear ya. You don't think that I'd rather just stare at the waves all day than chat with a good friend? The raid on Dragon Roost didn't go so well, damn whomever decided to give those Ritos wings! Those idiot birds were chasing us halfway to Windfall, and we probably shot off enough cannon just to scare them away to put us in the hole for more than we managed to steal from them! Now the crew's on Windfall at the pub like always, downing ale and honestly thinking that the have something to celebrate! Meanwhile, I'm the one who has to make sure we have enough rations to feed their sorry butts. Medil says hi, though!"

Link was always amused by his best friend's tales of daring piracy, but at the same time he felt worried for the girl's safety. He was the one who had needed to slash through countless dungeons and caves just to fight evil, and it was hard enough for him to go about killing things for a good cause. Here Tetra was, doing it for profit! Even if her band of pirates didn't have to take anyone's life to accomplish their goals (usually), he figured that she of all people, the one who helped him to take down Ganondorf, would realize that there were safer ways to make a living than prowling the Great Sea and striking fear into sailors' hearts.

"I just hope that you didn't kill any of them," Link replied with the same sigh that he had given countless other times in reaction to Tetra's feats of baccaneering, "because the Ritos are our friends, remember? Without the help of Prince Komali, Ganondorf would have taken both of our heads back at the Fortress! Are you really that desperate for loot that you chose to forsake your loyalties to them? I hope that they will even talk to me when I stop by Dragon Roost next time, whenever that may be."

Tetra was hit by a curious sense of embarrassment at hearing the boy's words- no matter how strongly she and Link were connected by destiny, they weren't above disagreement on some fundamental questions of life. The pirate girl knew that what she was doing was dangerous for sure, but piracy had been the only life she had ever known. What defines someone, she wondered, if it isn't their actions? She figured that even if the name of Tetra would be remembered to prosterity as that of an infamous pirate, that fate would still be better than being totally forgotten and a nobody. Tetra knew deep down that if she and Link were to have any real future together that she would have to change her ways- but for now, she would be a pirate!

"Heh heh... um, yeah, about that...," Tetra replied with a nervous chuckle, "The Ritos are fine, more than happy to turn over some of their money for the benefit of a few honest pirates. They were so happy to see us, they even let us bring Prince Komali along! The bird doesn't have great manners around us reasonable folks, however..."

For whatever incidents Tetra had gotten herself into previously, Link wrote them all off right then in comparison to what he had just heard. Stealing treasure was a pretty shameful behavior, but kidnapping the royal heir of a whole society was going to far!

"What were you THINKING, Tetra?", Link asked as he rolled his eyes at the news. "You really should reconsider this whole "life of crime" thing, it's gonna get you killed someday! Didn't you learn with me a year ago that doing that stuff makes you no better than who we defeated?"

"Sorry Link," Tetra shot back with her trademark pirate wit, "that some of us actually have to work for a living. Besides, we had no choice about abducting the bird kid- if we hadn't taken a hostage, the Ritos would still be fighting us up on the decks! And then, I guarantee you, somebody WOULD have gotten killed. We're gonna release him in a few hours, once we are sure that we have lost the dirty birds!"

Link figured that he could spend a good hour or so arguing with Tetra about her very ambiguous moral system, but he also realized that he didn't have that time to spare. Riku would most likely need his help to seal the keyhole of the Great Sea, and there would be no warning in the likely case that Ganondorf and his new minion Sora decided to show up. He had to explain things to Tetra and have her leave for Outset Island, and fast.

"Look," he stated with the intention of getting over their disagreements, "I'm just saying that perhaps you should consider something slightly less dangerous, and maybe even lawful, for your next profession. It may make good business sense as well- back in the day, I was making tons of rupees just by traveling from island to island and helping folks with their problems or just searching for treasure. Remember, what Daphnes had told us? We still need to found a new Hyrule! Tetra, we still have responsibilities..."

"Yeah, you're right," Tetra squeaked back with some resignation, "we should talk about these things soon, what we're actually going to do besides just sustain ourselves. Sometimes I forget about Hyrule, but it just seems like a lifetime ago that we found that place under the ocean. I'll think about what you said. Anyway, how are things going at Outset? Still the same old song and dance? I was thinking of stopping back to visit you soon..."

Link interrupted her there; it was time to get their conversation to the point, and he had already lost precious time by facilitating the argument. A tactical error on his part, he reasoned, but one that wasn't insurmountable. The Hero of Winds didn't quite know how to break the news to her that Ganondorf had resurrected, or even if she would believe him after Link was done telling her his story. Knowing of no better way to proceed, he just started to say it directly and to the point. He hoped the tough pirate in Tetra would appreciate his candor...

"Actually, Tetra, that was what I wanted to talk to you about right now. I just had the strangest thing happen to me- some guy from far away named Riku came up to me and said that his world was destroyed by a dark force, and that he needed my help to protect Hyrule from the coming invasion. He didn't stop there, however- he said that of all people Ganondorf was the cause of this encroaching darkness... I need your help now, Tetra. I didn't go through hell to seal away the King of Evil just to have him win in the end... how quickly can you get here? Riku said that the Heartless would be here by sundown..."

The pirate girl was of course shocked by the news, but perhaps not as much as Link had expected; she shrugged at the news and furrowed her brow, as if she was preparing for another day's work. After a few seconds of pondering what Link said, she responded...

"Honestly, Link, I thought that this day would have come sooner- Ganondorf was just too strong to be kept down forever, and I think that the way we beat him just made things worse. We really didn't defeat him at all back then; Ganondorf fell because he underestimated us and Daphnes Hyrule. As long as there are a Link and Zelda, so too will there be a Great King of Evil, and we'll be responsible for keeping him in check. The fight will never be over, and our descendants will have to save the world just like we have..."

The Hero of Winds, the one who had risked everything so that Hyrule could be free from Ganondorf's influence, could hardly stand the news. Here was the girl that had stood beside him in that great conflict, the one he had saved from the Gerudo Lord, and she had thought all along that their past efforts would be for naught? All the pain Link had suffered, the grief he had gone through, the lives he had taken in his role as a warrior...did she value any of it?

"But Tetra...," Link said in a tone revealing his inner scars that still hadn't healed, "I really thought it was over...we had won, Hyrule was saved. Daphnes died, my family almost died, hell, WE ALMOST DIED! And you thought all along that it wasn't enough...How could you say that? We gave so much for Hyrule, including my own childhood, and it was all for nothing?..."

Tetra had feared this moment ever since they had gone their separate ways in life, the day that Ganondorf would really come back to haunt them. She had known that the Royal family of Hyrule would never be safe, she had learned from her parents and her parents' parents that it was forever their destiny to be on the frontlines against the forces of evil, but the kid couldn't accept it somehow...

The fearsome pirate reacted in a straight tone, she had prepared for this moment in case it would have ever came up, and addressed her emotionally broken friend; "You really thought that we wouldn't have to face darkness again some day? Link, the world just isn't that simple. I knew that the fight hadn't ended back in Old Hyrule, in fact I had felt a cold wind out at sea for the past several days... Don't you feel it too? Ganondorf is back, and there is nothing that we can do about it except face him head-on...and win."

Link regained his composure quickly, it was terrible that their past efforts hadn't been enough to secure Hyrule but that didn't mean that they didn't have an obligation to stop halfway. "I don't want to go to battle again", the Hero of Winds thought to himself, "but again I don't have a choice. If that bastard wants a war, well he's got it now!" His thoughts thus turned outward to his best friend, realizing that his outburst wasn't the answer to their current situation. After all, wasn't it his goal all along to tell Tetra about the approaching threats to Hyrule?

"You're right about that, Tetra," Link admitted sheepishly, "We either need to stop Ganondorf again or die trying. It doesn't matter that Daphnes isn't around anymore to help us- it's our job to make sure that his wishes don't die with him. How long will it take you to get here? Apparently Ganondorf isn't alone this time- Riku told me that he has new minions, and worse yet, an apprentice..."

"An apprentice?", Tetra asked with suspicion. All of her family's stories pointed out that the Gerudo King was a lone wolf, that he didn't go out of his way to help anyone...Aghanim had been a tool for his own means, after all. Why, she wondered, would Ganondorf have an apprentice?

"Yes, that's right," Link continued, "His name is apparently Sora, and he used to be Riku's best friend from what I heard. Like Ganondorf, he wants to enslave us and turn the Great Sea as barren as the Gerudo homeland." Tetra was still suspicious, but she didn't have much time to consider this flaw in Link's story- after all, she now had to round up her drunk and rowdy crew to set sail once more- and prepare herself for battle as well.

"We'll set sail within the hour," Tetra resolved, "and with good winds we can get there in two more. But Link, don't trust anybody too much... remember, Ganondorf is the King of Lies as well, and if he can't defeat us in battle he may attempt to do so by deception. Good luck and godspeed, Link..."

"And may the winds be with you as well..." Link said softly as their connection via the stones broke. He looked around him briefly, the afternoon sun was turning a beautiful shade of yellow in the waning hours of what had been the most significant day for Link in years. However, the Hero of Winds knew that it wasn't over, not by any stretch of the imagination. He had to find Riku, and somehow help him to lock the island from Ganondorf's new attack. If, goddesses forbade, that failed, then the Hylian would have to be ready to face the Great King of Evil and his minions on the fields of war. In that case, Link realized he may not survive, but at least he would go down for what he believed to be right. He could only pray that Tetra would arrive in time with reinforcements...

The Hero of Winds walked silently back to his house, once again to retrieve his weapons, but this time they would be used against darkness once more. The door creaked with an old and welcoming sound, but the house was empty- the villagers were still resting amid their festivities, and their absence seemed to drain the color from Link's home. The familiar environment meant nothing if there wasn't anybody to share them with... but he felt the wind as well. Tetra had been right, a cold gust had been blowing for the past hour but Link had just now noticed it. It was an evil wind for sure, he could tell with certainty, and one that wouldn't stop until a score had been settled- one that, as it had turned out, hadn't ended a year and a half ago. So, then, the weapons would come off the wall again, the Hero's Bow, the Boomerang, the Hookshot, the Grappling Hook, the Deku Leaf, the Bombs, all relics of a supposedly bygone era that would be pressed into service once more- they all had convenient slots in Link's tunic, and their renewed presence gave him a momentary felling of security that was more than welcome at the given moment. And, once again as well, Link paused for a second to glance at the photograph of himself and Daphnes on the high seas. Unlike before, however, the Hero of Winds had only one thing to say about it this time-

"You didn't die in vain...that, I promise you..."

With his equipment all organized and familiar, then, Link would now set out once again to defeat Ganondorf and restore peace to Hyrule. It was still late in the afternoon, but he could already feel the spectre of dusk approaching Outset Island. From here on out, the sun would only shrink into the horizon and the dark wind gain in strength. There would be no going back now, and Link took those first few steps off his porch to begin the enormous tasks ahead of him-

But then he was interrupted by someone...

"Link," the elderly but still powerful voice of Sensei Orca came to the youth, "there is no need for words anymore. I have seen it too, the wind, your thoughts, the circumstances- we are connected through our beliefs and training to the point where I can read your intentions- and you are worried. Do not fear- evil is indeed returning to the Great Sea, and you are the one destined once again to battle it. It was prophesized by my distant ancestor that the darkness would come back, but it also said that there is still hope- you and Zelda are our hope."

Orca stepped out to face his pupil, the gaunt frame belied a great deal of physical fortitude honed by years of skirmish and battle. Link was impressed by the sight, even if he wasn't quite sure how Orca had managed to read his mind.

"You're right," Link said to his old teacher, "I have to face Ganondorf once again. I should have told you directly, but I didn't want our friends and family to perish in the fight to come. All that I ask is that you take care of them, get them to safety if I don't make it... I'm doing this for them, for the futures of kids like Joel, so they can see the best of life like I have..."

Orca smiled to the Hero of Winds; that gesture meant more to the Hylian than a thousand words...

ORCA! BEHIND YOU!

The deft old man deftly raised his staff behind him just in time, and deflected the chop that would have broken the guard of any lesser man. The attacker was something that Link couldn't quite come up with a name for; it looked somewhat like one of Ganondorf's old minions, but one that had somehow been corrupted by evil to be unrecognizable. It carried a shining blue sword in one of its hands, and floated with a grace that betrayed it malicious nature. The enemy had a gnarled, charcoal face that sneered and gnashed at any sign of light, and this time it targeted the biggest prize yet.

"Link", Orca shouted, "Show this damn thing what you're made of! I need to start evacuating the locals. Find Ganondorf and kill him, for all of us!" The old man took off with towards the houses with a speed that rivaled that of the much younger Link, and the Hylian found himself staring down an enemy that seemed to have come from hell itself.

Without warning, the Invisible flew towards Link with frightening speed, the blue steel of its sword hungering for the young man's heart like none before. Link blocked the fly-by swipe with his Mirror Shield, and drew the Master Sword at once to engage in combat. He leapt at the nemesis, but before the magical blade could find home the Invisible did something unexpected- it split into a circle of purple flames that surrounded Link!

The fires of the Invisible surrounded and stalked the Hero of Winds, rotating ever quicker before closing in on the Hylian- but Link had smelled the trap and he rolled out of the circle before the creature's attack could be delivered. Such evasion had saved Link from damage many times before, and the Hylian felt relieved that he had maintained some degree of flexibility over his year of leisure. The golden sand had cushioned Link's frame from bruises, and he got bact to his feet to see that the Invisible had reformed and was preparing for another charge with its sword.

The last approach hadn't worked against the enemy before, so Link decided to try something different. That had been his creed of battle ever since he had set out to rescue his sister Aryll- try something, and if it doesn't work then figure out the enemy and counter it! Taking a deep breath, Link put away the Master Sword to get out another weapon for an attack that he prayed he still remembered...

"Let's see if you can avoid this, you piece of crap!..."

The Invisible charged forward with its serrated razorblade in hand and all the determination of hell behind it. The monster was an elite Heartless, one that had consumed the hearts of so many victims that it now considered itself to be unstoppable. Soon, it would have yet another one to add to its own power...

*PWIIIISSSSSSHHHHH!*

The Light Arrow had hit home, and the Invisible writhed in futility as it started to evaporate in a blazing vortex- it was put out of its misery in an instant, as the shining portal vanished and took the wretched creature with it.

Link lowered the bow, trusting his weapon that the deed had been accomplished. He knew that the enemy he had just faced wouldn't be the last of the Great King of Evil's forces, but he also knew that in order to win against an army of those things he would need to take out Ganondorf, and quickly. Finding Riku would come first, and it was time for him to get moving.

The Hero of Winds started to walk towards the village, reflecting on his first real combat in quite a while...

"I'm glad that I still know how to get it done," Link thought to himself, "but now it's time to show Ganondorf that as well. It's time for me, Zelda, and Riku to end this- once and for all"

"You'll be the one who dies first tonight..."

Sora took a break from searching the coastline and noticed that the sun was setting more quickly than usual today- himself, Donald, and Goofy had been exploring the islands of Outset for only a few hours, and already the sun was barely visible over the orange horizon. He understood, or though he did, that even though worlds were separate most of them still had more-or-less consistent patterns of day and night. How then, he wondered, could the darkness of night be so quickly upon them? Fortunately for Sora's desire to find this out, Goofy and Donald had a clue for him- ironically enough, it came as a question...

"Hey Sawra, did you just feewl that?," the duck remarked casually as he looked up for a moment from Sahasrahla's book, "Geesh, I thawt that iswands like this wewen't cowld!" Lwet's gwo back into Sturgeon's howse for a moment swo I can get my down fluffed up!"

Sturgeon was the name of an old and well-educated man, the only one the group agreed had appeared docile and knowledgeable enough to approach for help. The brother of Orca was reading at his study while the others had still been partying, and he was surprised to say the least by the appearance of such a motley group at his doorstep. Curious as to their places of orgin, he had taken them in and listened to their story with interested attention. Sturgeon had heard so many tall tales from mischievous kids throughout the years that he was unshaken by Sora's story of impending danger, but he was inspired enough to at least dust off a few old tomes from his bookshelf and see what he could find about Hyrule's "keyhole". In the meantime, the strange young man and his animal companions had fanned back out to search for clues. Sturgeon figured that his visitors might be able to learn a thing or two about Outset from Link, but the old chap was sure that the Hero of Winds was still off recuperating from the momentous day at the moment...

"Yurr'e kinda lucky that ya got feathers unlike us, Dawnald!, " Goofy responded, "Sora, I actually agree with the duck fur once. Let's ask our new friend if he's turned anythin' up about the keyhole, and if nawt maybe we can sleep at his place! Surrely he'll say yes, apparently his crazy brother's off doin' his kung fu again or somethin'. Whaddya think, Sora? Pweasse?

Sora had felt the cold wind too, it was a moderate gust, nothing that threatened to blow the athletic youth off his feet, but a wind that never quite went away either- it stayed just as cold and just strong enough to silently wear on the comfort of all who were subject to it. It reminded the Keyblade Master of that last day on the Destiny Islands, back when himself and Riku were squabbling over such petty matters as how their new raft would look and what it would be named- back when things like that even mattered to him. That day had also been short in length, seemingly having ended right after Sora and Kairi had agreed that it was time to stop working on the craft for the day. Not only that, however, but he had also felt a cruel, unrelenting wind blow after he had confronted the hooded figure in the secret cave. The man said that Sora knew nothing and would understand nothing and then had disappeared without a trace. The wind, however, had stayed behind until the Destiny Islands had been consumed by the Heartless and his own mental processes had been overcome by their maleovent influences. Sora had survived the destruction of his home when so many others hadn't, but the memory of what that wind had brought was still with him.

"Sorry guys," he finally said to his impatient and freezing brothers in arms, "but we don't have enough time to settle down for the night. I've felt this wind before, and I know what it brings to its destinations- the Heartless. We can go back to Sturgeon's house and see if he's found out anything more about the keyhole, but I'm afraid that we may be running out of time...do either of you remember a day that was so short?"

"Nawt rweally, now thwat I thwink about it," Donald replied after a few seconds of searching his memory. The duck hadn't paid enough attention to the world outside of his book to notice the change, and inside he was kicking himself for the mistake. Donald had always been the one to see things happening before (he had saved Goofy from many problems in that manner), but somehow the magician's desire for more details on the keyhole and his fascination with Hyrule's legends had distracted him from perceiving the events of the last few hours. Now it was too late to speak out, and the duck felt that he had cost the group valuable time by not being more attentive.

"Hyuck, Yurr'e right on that one, Sora- I don't think that even Sturgeon coulda kept us occupied long enuff till the sun went down!", Goofy affirmed to the others. If Donald had been a little distracted as of late, Goofy had made up for it somewhat by tirelessly scouring for clues as to the keyhole's mystery. The dog even knew himself that he wasn't the keenest detective out there, but he did have some convictions as to what was supposed to be happening- the sun should not have set by this early hour!

"Yeah, guys," Sora responded to Goofy's supporting words, "Something isn't right about this... we haven't even seen Riku or anyone else since we left Sturgeon's. Let's regroup at the house and see if he's turned anything up. Hopefully he has, 'cause we may be running out of time already... Let's go."

As soon as those words had left him, Sora and the others turned to head towards Sturgeon's house. The wind howled and the moon was nowhere to be seen as the night sky progressively grew darker, but the three only had to cross to the other end of the shore in order to enter the relative safety of the old man's abode. Sora's stomach growled at him, reflecting the total absence of calories at his disposal, and the pang of hunger seemed to hit him just like a punch. Undoubtedly, Sora figured, Sturgeon would have some dinner cooking (maybe even some of his namesake), perhaps some of the soup that the Keyblade Master had heard great things from the elder about. They were all cold and hungry, the three of them hiking through the unforgiving gusts of wind that seemed to almost actively pursue the brothers in arms, and Sora realized that they hadn't even had a decent rest for several days now (before the showdown with Riku, which seemed like weeks ago to the young man). Right now, he realized, all of them were running out of energy at perhaps the worst time possible- no warrior could run on initiative and adrenaline forever Fortunately, Sturgeon's house was only about a mile away- just a mile away from a warm fire, a hearty meal, and a relaxing conversation...

The group ignored the newly falling rain and the unrelenting wind all the way up to Sturgeon's house. None of them could make out the entrance clearly due to the pervasive blackness of the wicked night, but as a flurry of bright comets suddenly clarified things Sora quickly realized something-

Sturgeon wasn't home anymore. All of the houses were darkened, and nobody was home anymore... It was a trap. Sora, Donald, and Goofy clustered together on the beach, and readied their arms for the inevitable ambush...

RRREEEEEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKK!

They didn't have to wait long, as a grating sqwawk pierced the storm as only a monster's call could. Team Disney formed a triangle of sorts on the beach, their backs to each other and their eyes scanning what they could of the darkened rocks up the coast. Sora's Keyblade started to shine with an unnatural glow, seeming to sense the magnitude of the new danger that was yards away yet entirely invisible to the Keyblade Master and his friends.

"...Gawrsh, what in the world was that? Sounded like you, Donald, the way ya talk to us on Mondays..."

The already tired and ornery duck was not flattered by Goofy's comparison, and shot back with his own furious whisper-

"Thanks for the complement, you mawron! Stick together, and make for the house...slowly..."

"Uh- oh...that thing sounds ticked, and I think it knows where we are. Don't make a sound, maybe we can escape and flank it later..."

They didn't have much longer to frantically whisper among themselves, a trap had been laid for them already by someone who knew the island inside and out. The abandoned village, as if on cue, suddenly became alive with the rustlings, grunts, snorts, and bestial calls of a large army of unknown creatures. One of them proceeded to taunt Sora, Donald, and Goofy in his own way-

"Ignorant fools," a familiar voice suddenly called out to the ragged heroes, "You obviously don't know how to recognize a trap when you see it! What a shame, Sora, I was expecting better from someone like you... I guess that such was to be anticipated out of a base mongrel like yourself anyway. The Hero of the Key...that's what these people would have called you for generations. That is, providing you had actually survived long enough to earn the title. Hear them yet, my army greater in number than the sand on this wretched shore? They hunger for the blood of pure hearts, and in a few moments they will rend your carcasses apart like the spent derelicts you are. I, the Great Ganondorf, have won again because I was willing to do something that you couldn't- betray someone with hospitality. The real Sturgeon became food for the Moblins a day ago, and you trusted me without any second thoughts- "

"Damn you to hell! Come out and fight like a man, let's settle this right now!", Sora roared at his invisible adversary. His group was surrounded by hidden monsters and weakened by hunger and cold, but that didn't mean that the teenage hero was about to restrain his temper now- getting betrayed by a shape-shifting nemesis was the last straw! The Keyblade Master had thought that Ganondorf was somewhere in Hyrule already, but the possibility that the Great King of Evil was following their every move and now knew their plan in its entirety had never occurred to him before now. Once the ambush had become clear, it all made sense to Sora and the realization of his error was inescapable- much like the force that would spring out after his group at any moment.

"You obviously never learned to respect your elders, and all you do is yell and shout at me, little kid," Ganondorf shot back at Sora, "You wouldn't have lasted an hour in the Gerudo tribe where I was raised! Look at yourself, and your pathetic band of oafs- already you are reduced to weariness by the winds of death that I have brought to this land, baited into submission by your own naivete. Like my pigs, all you value in life are your slop trough and your hay beds... and now you will be food for them. A fitting end for such fools!"

"That's not true!", Sora screamed back at the darkness at the still-hidden Gerudo Lord, "Me, Donald, and Goofy have the greatest power of all, and something that you will never possess- the ability to love others and be loved by them in return. You are the one who we should feel sorry for- the only friends you have are your pigs, as wretched and greedy as yourself! Give back Kairi and leave this place alone, you don't deserve to rule anything!

"Heh heh heh heh heh...", the King of Evil smugly laughed to himself, "the gray haired fool was really right about you... one who knows nothing about life can understand nothing, after all. Listen, kid, I have slain armies and gods and kingdoms, I have obtained the Golden Power, I have forgotten more than you'll ever know about the universe. What I do know is this: darkness has already triumphed, and soon this world will become what it should have a year ago. You may have been born a Hylian, but these people would spit at such a sorry excuse as a person!"

"Who you callin' an excuwse an' a Hylian," Donald retorted, "Sawra's been the best buddy anyone could ever ask for! , You rweally awe a coward, when you can't even show yowrself to us!

Sora had no clue as to what Ganondorf had meant with that last statement, but he had no time to ponder its significance. The ambush force was growing restless, like caged animals they could be heard gnashing their teeth, clanging their crude weapons, and squealing for a fight. Sora had to get his friends to cover, and try to lose this force- Ganondorf would have to come later, survival was paramount at the moment.

The Gerudo Lord also knew that the time was coming for the battle- this would be as good of a test as any for the prophesized new hero, and Ganondorf would only waste his personal energy to kill someone who was a worthy opponent. The puppet couldn't quite be manipulated on this kind of terrain, but the bird would be just as competent of a match for Sora. It ultimately didn't matter to Ganondorf anyway, his job was done on Outset and the only thing left to accomplish was the slaying of the true nemesis, Link...

"That's because," Ganondorf calmly spoke out to the furious duck the steely-eyed dog, and the, confused adolescent, "you don't even deserve to set your eyes on the true ruler of the universe, and the Great King of Evil. Enjoy being torn limb from limb by my finest monsters, and look on the bright side- you will get to see Kairi again, in the underworld!"

"You'll be the one who dies first tonight," Sora whispered quietly as the King of Thieves' voice disappeared and the Helmaroc King gave the long-awaited signal to advance- Moblins, Bokoblins, and Miniblins poured out of the decrepit former houses in bands of ten (Sora could discern at least a hundred them in his range of vision alone), and the Helmaroc King flew over them as if to squawk out orders and stalk Team Disney until they would be most vulnerable.

Sora always knew what to do first before he entered any large fight like this- in a group battle, one was likely to get hit by opponents multiple times, and personal defense would thus be a very important part of survival. The Keyblade Master didn't know how long they could hold out against the force opposing them on all sides (their backs were to the shore), but he felt that their best chance to catch up to and stop Ganondorf would be to whittle down the opposing ranks and then attempt to make a break for the cliffs. He glanced at Donald and Goofy; the former had already cast Aeroga on himself, the latter had his shield held solidly and was bracing for the impact of Moblin spears. It all felt so surreal to Sora, as if time was going in slow motion but the first battle in a long time was finally about to happen. The Heartless he had been able to defeat in large numbers so far, but what about these new bestial opponents? Sora didn't have any more time to strategize, while the Moblins were slowly gaining on them the faster Miniblins led the assault, their distinctive chatter swarming the air like they were likewise doing on the ground. Prepared to meet the onslaught, Sora raised his Keyblade up and calmly uttered one word:

"Wind!"

At once, the spell took effect and a swirling barrier of wind materialized around the Keyblade Master- it would help to cut the damage of almost any attack by half, and against the encroaching Miniblins the Aeroga spell would keep their weak attacks from adding up.

"Sawra," Donald called out to him from the distance of about fifteen feet away, "Thwese things are gwonna surrownd us if we down't move away. Go towards the sea; I don't think they can swim that well!"

Goofy had already gotten the message, and the dog was covering the duck's retreat by running in straight lines alongside the advancing tide of gremlins, as if he was cutting the grass. Eventually, however, the waves kept coming and even the Captain of the King's Guard was forced to cede ground. The knight excelled in these situations, in melee combat against weak foes, but unfortunately he wasn't able to block every attack that the miniblins were able to throw at him. Their little pitchforks weren't very damaging on their own, but a bunch of wounds from them together would slow the dog down and compromise him against the greater threats coming next. The dog realized this, and used one of his special attacks to throw them off-

"Come Awn!"

Goofy started to spin quickly like a top, and once they were hit by the dog's outstretched shield the miniblins instantly exploded into puffs of purple smoke. The miniblins, Sora noticed, couldn't take much punishment at all- one good hit from any attack would eliminate them as a threat. As Goofy lurched out of his spin back into the relative security of the group, Sora readied the Keyblade to sweep away the remaining gremlins.

"Ney, ney, ney ney ney, ney ney ney!"

The miniblins came like a swarm of ants, leaping at the heroes with their pitchforks and spears and attacking without pattern or strategy- all they were capable of was a desire for blood, but they were refused by Sora's weapon. the Keyblade sang in Sora's hands as he swept it in wide arcs, vanquishing several of the fiends with every swing. The miniblins were no match for the brothers in arms when they fought as a cohesive unit- Sora and Goofy patrolled a small perimeter around Donald, who supported them with Aeroga and rounds of Blizzaga, a powerful spell that send icy blasts capable of stopping whole groups of miniblins in their tracks. The duck was in indispensable part of the team because he also had the ability to use healing magic- although the group was largely able to keep the hordes in check without injuries, Donald would occasionally yell out his Curaga spell just to be sure everyone had the ability to keep hacking at the strange little enemies. When the waves of gremlins started to wane, Sora sensed at once an opening to escape- perhaps they could sneak off into the night before the heavier hitters arrived...

"Donald, Goofy!", Sora yelled as he dispatched two more miniblins, "Let's make a break for the cliffs! We gotta lose these guys before they send anything else our way, and stop Ganondorf and Riku before it's too late!"

"Shucks, Sora," Goofy yelled back, "The Moblins are here, and with those noses of theirs they'll follow us all the way back to Holla Bastion!"

Surely enough, a few of the hideous pig-faced minions were emerging from the ruined village and heading to their location. Sora saw that they were large and powerfully built, carrying long spears that they could sweep and hook to devastating effect if given the chance. They would be slow enough to beat individually, but against forty or more of them at once they would surely lose- and becoming a Moblin's snack wasn't on Sora's agenda at the moment!

"Sawra, I gawt an idea!", Donald found the time to say while taking out a few straggling miniblins with a Firaga spell, "Lwet's use a distwaction and glwide away whiwle theyw'e busy! I don't thwink these lugs awe any smawter than Goofy, so they'll fall for it if we'we qwuick!"

"Donald, great plan- I shoulda remembered before that I can still summon help! Hopefully it works this far away from home..."

Sora had almost totally forgotten his summons that he had access to, since he almost never needed them against regular Heartless- but surely something flashy and intimidating could at least buy the group enough time to make it to the bridge between the two coastlines-

"Yeah, that's it," the Keyblade Master thought to himself, "Something big and flashy oughta get their attention- and I know just the fella to help us out..." A grin came to his face as he yelled to Donald and Goofy, "Alright guys, I'm going for it- give me some cover!"

"Give Me Strength!"

The Keyblade Master raised his weapon high, and suddenly it shook violently in his hands with a life of its own. Sparks flew everywhere, and a cloud of smoke emerged... with the Genie inside!

"Hiiiiyyyahhhh!", the Genie shouted with his usual bravado as he materialized out Sora's spell and then remarked casually, "Wait a minute, dude, this sure ain't Agrabah... Oh well, I said I'd do ya a favor, time to teach these pigs a lesson about magic lamps!"

"Thanks a bunch, Genie- and see ya later as well", Sora spoke back as the comical and powerful spirit turned to face his new opponents, and the adolescent then focused himself on gliding to the bridge and safety with his allies. The distance was about a half mile, but with the Genie's potent spells and whiz-bang antics keeping the moblins at bay the group would be to the other side of the island and safety in no time. Sora and his friends had just learned Superglide, but he was already valuing it as one of his most useful techniques because it allowed him to cover distances much faster than if he were running. The wind and freezing rain tore at the already exhausted trio, but they'd be out of immediate trouble in no time, Sora figured...

"Watch Awt Sawra!"

KRAKKKKK!

"AUUUUGHHHH!"

Donald's warning had come too late; the moblin had raised his spear at just the right moment, knocking the Keyblade Master out of the air like a cheap pinata. The blow nearly broke the youth's skull in half as he lost consciousness and fell to the sand with a thud, bloody and devoid of any signs of life. The duck was twenty yards away by the time the worst had been confirmed, the Moblin (who Donald had guessed was part of a flanking detatchment) raising the halberd above its gnarled, rotten face and preapring for the kill-

Not only would this fresh meat taste great to the Moblin, but the beast would be getting extra time at the food trough for sure...

"...I guess it's over, then...it's over...it's over...it's over...it's over...At least it's peaceful here..."

The phrase repeated itself to Sora again and again, the cloudiness of the chasm contrasting to the stained glass platform that looked oddly reminiscent of something from the past... He didn't know where he was, but that detail no longer mattered to him. He was a little boy again, free to play in the skies forever, free from pain and punishment- everything was his, there was no need to worry anymore...

After what seemed like ages, the former Keyblade Master looked over the platform- there was no peace to be found in the material world; a war was going on below, a desperate struggle being fought to the bitter end by condemned heroes...This would be the night that light faltered and evil triumphed.

It was Donald and Goofy- and himself, the twitching and bleeding corpse laying dead on the soaking beach, starting to sink into the cold sand, into the grave. The others weren't giving up yet, but they were doomed. Sora felt sorry for them in a way, he never wanted to join them again in that savage and bloody mess. Goofy was taking on four of the hulking savages at once and losing ground on them by the second, Donald had seemed to be able to inflict a severe burn on the leading Moblin and was currently trying to hold them back with all kinds of magic- the duck would run out of steam eventually. Genie was nowhere to be found, his connection to Sora severed by the magnitude of what had just happened. A ship was prowling off the coast of the island, firing its cannons in succession at anything that moved on the beach- and deploying rowboats of soldiers to take on the monsters...

Sora couldn't make any sense of it- his memory had been lost to him when his brain had been damaged, the pictures were meaningless. He didn't ever want to leave this place.

A soothing female voice called out to him from the night sky...

"Our hearts are one... We can fight together this time...Don't leave me...Please, Sora..."

Who was it? Sora struggled to recognize the voice, but it seemed drawn to him like nobody else.

The fairy had appeared out of nowhere, the boy had thought that nothing could reach him in this place...

He groaned in agony, the shadow of a girl had emerged from the fairy- and Sora noticed that he was back to a teenager again. The two ghosts stared into each other's translucent eyes, two shadows above the horrors of combat...

"'I'm still alive, Sora, in your dreams and in your heart. Wake up for me and for them, they need you more than life itself..."

The fighting below was savage beyond belief, but the soldiers from the mysterious ship were starting to turn the tide of the battle against the Moblins; they started to flee back into the cliffs to reorganize, the pirates engaging the pig monsters one-on-one in close combat. Cannon fire scarred the beach and blew Moblin, Miniblin, and Darknut apart indiscriminately. The heavily armored, dark guardsmen had been deployed to manage the tactical retreat, showing ruthless discipline and killing any Moblins that disobeyed their orders- but under the withering cannon fire of the pirates they could not hold the coast. The Helmaroc King retreated to a ledge outside of the pirates' line of fire, shrieking out orders to the frantic Moblins and the beleaguered Darknuts to retain some sort of discipline. They had lost this skirmish, but the evil bird knew that its master was winning the war moment by moment. Also fleeing the combat were two other individuals traversing the rickety bridges between the rocks, and they were thankful that their lives were still preserved- unlike the dead boy being carried by Goofy's strong yet lanky arms...

The memories came back to that boy at the sight of his friends, who had risked everything just to recover his body from desecration by the savage Moblins. The various parts of his identity gradually returned, first a trickle and then a stream of pictures to his damaged mind. Sora was the Keyblade Master, and Kairi was right- the world still needed a hero. He was the only one that could save them from Ansem and Ganondorf... He couldn't let them win...

"Don't worry, Kairi," he replied to the ghostly figure, "I'm in your heart as well. Let's return to the world- together."

"You're so sweet, Sora. Betcha I can beat you to it! See you there..."

The platform began to fall back to Outset Island as Sora continued to regain his senses, the pain was searing but he didn't care about it at all. Nothing was more precious to him than life now. He faded out the transitory spiritual existence, the ground had been cold and harsh before but now he felt warm and comforted for some reason, like he had just climbed into a down pillow-

Donald Duck!

_

"They're going to kill everyone eventually, Tetra, unless we can finish this tonight. We have nothing to lose, but everything to fight for...Are you ready for the battle of our lifetimes?..."

For a few precious minutes, the islands of Outset had fallen silent- save the freezing rain and the howling wind that seemed to grow in magnitude as if signaling the arrival of a great force of darkness. Before walking away from the beach where he had fought and slain the strange creature that had attempted to ambush himself and Orca, Link paused for a second to glance at the sword now lying userless on the wet sand. It was as sharp as whatever black-hearted smith could possibly forge it, the Hylian noticed, the wide blade's serrated edges designed to lacerate and rend the life out of anything it. Curiously and all the while half-expecting the weapon to burst into the same dark fire as had its wielder, the Hero of Winds bent down and grabbed the hilt of the strangely etched cutlass. Everything about the weapon was foreign to the green-clad hero, from the lack of effort it took to swing it to the illegible script of dark curses written on the blade. Link had possessed a small amount of knowledge of his new enemy before the latest encounter with the Heartless, but the skill with which the demon fought was certainly worthy of respect from the young warrior- he certainly would not be able to hold off an army of these Invisibles without some help, which was the highest regard he could give to such a pernicious enemy...

"I guess you can both hate and respect a warrior at the same time..."

Speaking of time, Link reasoned, for all of the sand around the shore it made no difference to the hourglass of his home. Time was running out, and Link knew it. He could only hope that Orca had successfully gathered up the innocents and taken them to shelter- the fountain of the Forest of Fairies had been the refuge of civilians from the wars of generations past, and enemies would have to blast their way through yards of solid rock to get to those inside. Link knew that the revitalizing power of the fountain and its denizens could support a small population for years if need be-

But it would make no difference at all, and Link knew it. If the foe wants to destroy an entire world instead of conquering it, such defenses would be useless. Against an enemy with no standards whatsoever as how to fight a proper war, anything goes. However, Link thought that if there was any place at all on the island that he could spot Riku and in so doing put an end to this madness, then the Forest Mount would be as good of a spot as any. The Hylian's leads had dried up, Riku had offered his help but Link hadn't seen any traces of the enigmatic young man since their discussion on the coasts from hours past.

"Why hasn't he shown up yet?", he asked to himself in frustration, "My home's going to get destroyed by the Heartless, surely he sees that I can't do this by myself... why hasn't Riku done anything to help me?"

Tetra and her band of pirates were supposed to be there by now, as well. Surely if anyone in the world cared about Link's well-being she did, but the Hylian's patience with all of his allies was running out. As the fight with the Invisible had made abundantly clear to him, he couldn't expect to wage a one-man war against this enemy and expect to win. Where was his help?

"Tetra...Tetra...Can you hear me?...", Link whispered through the gusts into the talking blue stone. No response...

Link didn't have any more time to lose through waiting. The one-man war would be the only option now.

With one last sigh of hesitation, the Hero of Winds began his trek to the other side of the coast, the Forest Mount. What would remain of his former life when the storm ended? Link couldn't know for sure. He could only press onwards into the night, praying to find the enemy before it found him...

Riku had watched calmly from a great distance as his puppet had passed the first test put before him. He knew that the Invisibles were the best Heartless under his command, but the Seeker of Darkness was still satisfied with his present position in the game of intrigue for these pathetic islands. What this so-called Hero had managed to defeat narrowly, Ansem could replace a thousand times over...It was only a matter of another few hours until the keyhole would be finally compromised, and once the pieces of the Golden Power were in his possession the job here would be finished. Sora had managed to follow him, but the foolish Keyblade Master was walking straight into an ambush laid by the great Ganondorf. Link was likewise blindly proceeding to his doom, he'd see Riku all right- that would be the last thing the clueless kid would see in his worthless life, and his girlfriend would be the next one to go. Ganondorf would be disposed of once he had outlived his usefulness, before the Great King of Evil would find out that the game was up...hopefully. All that mattered were the Triforce and the Princesses; the former would destroy Hyrule and its young heroes, the latter would consume Hollow Bastion- and eventually the universe.

The wind, the darkness, and the rain had always come then a world was nearing its end- Ansem relished them every time, he already felt strong enough now to finally beat the Keyblade Master a hundred times over. In just a few hours, Hyrule would be added to Riku's trophies. Sora wouldn't stand a chance against him...

"A divided enemy shall never win against me...," he thought to himself, as a momentary smirk passed the possessed young man's face.

Link had started to run faster into the pitch black night when he first heard the dreaded Helmaroc's call. That bird had almost killed his sister Aryll a year and a half ago, and for months after he had finally done it in the right hand minion of the Great King of Evil had haunted the Hero's dreams. The squawks he could have recognized from twice the distance he had heard them from, and Link knew that wherever the Helmaroc King lurked, Ganondorf would not be too far away, The winds cut like a thousand razors into the Hylian's uncovered hands and face, but the Master Sword's glow illuminated his path as he ran alongside the former residences of his friends and family. He didn't dare to go inside of any of the now-derelict structures, they were the enemy's homes now- Link though he could just make out the grunts of Moblins and the voices of Darknuts from inside the shacks, but he wisely decided not to test his curiosity at the moment. He was truly behind enemy lines now, and stealth was the key to taking out his old rival the Helmaroc King- and then Ganondorf as well.

The Hero of Winds had polished his skills at subterfuge back at the old Forsaken Fortress, and while he almost never sneaked around anybody anymore he was still thankful that he could stick close to walls and move without making any sounds. "The beasts didn't learn anything about finding me from back in those days!," Link thought securely to himself. It was ironic, he figured, that the chosen Hero of Hyrule was sticking to the shadows in the most significant battle on Outset in two hundred years, but the Hylian recognized he had no other choice right now- he was an adept fighter, but by the clashing of weapons and the shouts of battle he could tell that Ganondorf's forces numbered at least a few hundred-

"Wait a minute- who is fighting back?!..."

Link came to that realization in an instant, there was supposed to be nobody outside right now except himself, Ganondorf, Riku, Sora, and the Heartless! The chatting stone was still silent, so Riku must be taking on the forsaken army by himself! With the desire to help his only ally left in this now hostile world, Link rounded the cliff's corner with his bow drawn...

"Who in the hell is that on the coast?!..."

The shocked Hylian knew that the heroes attempting to hold off the Helmaroc King's mob weren't Riku, that was for sure. Link could make out three of them through the darkness, one boy around his own age and two others of an uncertain appearance. The teenager wielded a two-handed, shining weapon which he swung in fast arcing combos, dispatching whole groups of Miniblins as he went. Another figure served as the perimeter guard, fighting with what the Hylian thought looked like a shield, charging to and fro and sometimes utilizing an attack similar to his own Hurricane Spin for good measure. One more fighter was with them, a shorter figure with a somewhat bird-like appearance who was casting fire, frost, and shock magic nonstop in an attempt to hold back the stronger rear ranks of Moblins. Link was fascinated by the group's strange but effective fighting style, but who were they and what were they doing on Outset?

Link strained to hear as the foreigners shouted among themselves in the heat of combat, it was difficult in the rain and howling wind but the Hylian was convinced at this point to trust absolutely no one except his close friends. He could understand a precious few of the words that their leader was yelling to the others-

"Let's make a break for the cliffs! We gotta lose these guys before they send anything else our way!"

The tall figure ("Was it really a talking dog?", Link asked himself), found just a second to respond amidst the carnage-

"The Moblins are here, and with those noses of theirs they'll follow us all the way back to Holla Bastion!"

"Hollow Bastion?", Link asked himself as his heart raced out of control inside his small chest, "Is that where these guys are from? Why on earth did they come here?"

Perhaps the duck would have some answers, Link thought to himself, as the wizard started to squawk out his solution to the group's predicament, the Moblins starting to close in around them all the while-

"Sawra, I gawt an idea! Lwet's use a distwaction and glwide away whiwle theyw'e busy!"

Link didn't know what to think when he heard that name. Was this really the villainous Sora that Riku had told him about? Were these desperate warriors, fighting for their lives, really opposed to the Great King of Evil, or was there another explanation to this that the Hylian needed to find out before drawing any conclusions? Why were they fighting against their supposed ally, Ganondorf, and his soldiers? The Hero of Winds didn't have a clue about the reasons behind the battle he just jumped into, but one detail was becoming clearer to him second by second: Sora and his allies were going to lose their lives if this fighting went on much longer.

Link saw what then transpired instantaneously, as if the events were almost a premonition or a particularly acute nightmare- the forces of the Gerudo King had cut the three heroes off from any escape, a readied arrow's flame just barely illustrating what all of the Hylian's senses readily conveyed to him at that moment. The faceless, savage hordes of the Moblins had been too much for even Sora to oppose singlehandedly, through the bludgeoning of the spear a brave Warrior had fallen for good. The blinding wind, the freezing rain, the blackened forces of reckless hatred had triumphed this time, their arbiter being one Moblin of many- a strong, callous specimen, a pig-esque humanoid like the rest of them, knowing no god but decadence, no code but malovence. This time at least, Fate and Ganondorf and the Helmaroc King had given this demonic creature the powers only they could otherwise execute and bestow- those to kill a noble being, to crush utterly the desire to live, for the purpose of nothing.

Link heard too, just inside earshot, the ramifications felt by Sora's friends of this war being lost. The Duck and the Dog were themselves helpless to affect the fabric of history at this moment as it pertained to their Keyblade Master, as Link noticed that the Darknuts he had faced to the death many times a year prior had been deployed to enforce ruthless discipline in the ranks. Their rusted, clanking armor, their massive proportions, their great cleaving swords weighing thirty pounds each, and their proud demeanors had occupied Donald and Goofy plenty enough at the critical moment.

Link was faced with the most difficult choice of his life up to that very point in time, when Outset was being consumed by the forces of the reborn Great King of Evil. The teenage Hylian thought for the moment, or at least tried to do such, of his own failures in life against his own loved ones. What if Medil or Fado or Aryll had been left, by the cunning of the Gerudo Lord and of the harsh judgment of Chance, at the mercy of that same moblin standing there with spear readied for the final blow to end one of their lives? He would have never forgiven himself for being there and not being able to save them, under any circumstances. The Hero of Winds had seen plenty of battlefields in his short existence, but never one quite like this scene he was watching at the moment. One of his sworn enemies was at the mercy of another, and yet the bond that very few warriors would achieve, that of the Brothers in Arms, somehow was influencing his heart. Would he attempt to play God, to sway history off of its natural course? Was it worth trying to save one of his enemies from another, for such emotional reasons?...

Link's mind raced at a thousand miles a minute as he sat there cold and shivering, drawn bow at the ready before this spectacle of misery. The duck and the dog would inevitably fall as well to the forces of evil if he didn't act; their attempts to close with Sora's body would be too little, too late. The Hylian looked to the flame at the end of the arrow- sizzling, crackling in the wind and rain, but still burning bright against every possible odd against it. The flame spoke to the boy's heart, it refused to be extinguished, refused to give up, refused to die quietly. Link saw Sora's heart too, rejected such a demise against reckless hate, his was a heroes' heart as well, Sora didn't deserve to die for some reason...

A magnificent flame had left the drawn Hero's Bow, quickly blazing forth in a vain glory against the night's machinations. 


End file.
